Update: On Wednesday, the fire department said four people were displaced, and the temple’s nuns were rummaging through burned belongings.
A two-alarm fire broke out near a Buddhist temple on 22nd Street between Capp and Shotwell streets on Tuesday evening.
Around 50 firefighters responded to the fire at 5:27 p.m. at the 3100 block of 22nd Street, according to Lieutenant Mariano Elías, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department.
The fire department said 15 people were immediately displaced. Three cats and one dog were rescued. One firefighter was lightly injured.
The affected building is a Victorian-style residence adjacent to Hua Zang Si, a Buddhist temple; both buildings are clad in wooden planks painted bright red. There was scaffolding alongside the temple, but it is unclear whether the construction is related to the fire.
The fire department has blocked off 22nd Street between Mission and Shotwell and South Van Ness Street between 21st and 23rd streets.
A dozen Buddhist nuns were having an evening study session at the temple around 5 p.m. when someone frantically rang the doorbell, asking everyone to evacuate, according to one of the nuns.
Everyone evacuated, and two cats were likely trapped inside the residential building, another nun said, weeping. According to Elías, one cat was rescued.
“None of us were in the building when the fire broke out, because we were having our lesson,” said one nun in Mandarin. “It was a blessing in this unfortunate event.”
Glad to see folks are safe. I hope the cause can be identified to rule out any kind of hate crime.
I was in the mini golf building nearby and we were evacuated because of this fire. I hope we learn the fate of the second cat 🙁